Mascots are well known when it comes to sports; they have become the norm during every match day. They stand there in all their mighty as they inspire they’re team to glory.

If you haven’t already noticed, in a number of different sports, they come in a range of different forms such as Lions, Eagles, Bears, even real life hairy Vikings… yes Minnesota Viking have a hairy human Viking mascot to cheer their team on. But you name it, there probably is a mascot for it. Donning fuzzy uniforms and giants shoes are the characteristic that makes and symbolises the teams within each respected sport.  However it’s safe to say that the NBA and the NFL have probably the craziest and wackiest mascots throughout the whole sporting world, they provides heaps loads of fun for their fans and come in all sizes.

You can clearly see the NBA/NFL mascots create a huge impact on the game in regards to spurring the fans and the team on; they can ignite the home crowd whilst simultaneously agitating the opposing players. Personally for me though, I think the NBA has the more entertaining mascots, but the NFL has the more passionate ones. I can’t decide who has the overall best, but to split them into two, and that what I think. But you can judge for yourself in this infographic as you’ll see the best mascoting moments and see for yourself some of the vibrant characters that are contained in this sport.

Here is why I think that the NBA has the best entertaining mascots:

Benny the Bull

Good ol’ Benny is one of the main reasons why the NBA provides the funniest mascots; he is one crazy individual and is seen as a pioneer due to becoming the first NBA mascot to ‘roam the side lines’. He’s a pure entertainer, providing his audience with trick shots, pre-show dances, dress-ups and issuing the good sporting spirit for the kids attending the game, where you going to get that anywhere else in the sporting world?

The Coyote

If anyone else witnessed the abysmal fail of Mariah Carey’s New Year fiasco, then you’d probably want to check this out. Already regarded as one of NBA’S most endearing mascots, dressed up in a leotard and brutally recreated the singer’s epic fail  and this why they are the best mascots around because they have the audacity to go beyond the ‘accepted’ boundaries.

And here is why I believe the NFL has the most passionate mascots:

Swoop – Philadelphia Eagles

This character is everything you want from a mascot. The eagle has an intimidating look to his outfit which fit is in well with the Philly sports as fans are known for being some of the roughest and loudest throughout the whole country. But Swoop is passionate, gets the crowd roaring and is also an inspiring symbol as we usually see him carrying an Eagles flag out onto the field eight Sundays in their calendar season. Because of Swoops intimidating yet passionate persona makes the mascot one of the best in the NFL.

Ragnar the Viking – Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings have taken having a mascot to another level, not only do they have one, but their mascot is also an actual living person rather than a stuffed animal. Joseph Juranitch plays the role Ragnar, and the actor is a one of a kind NFL mascot as he is the only living one filled in the world of stuffed animals and cartoon figures. This just shows how passionate they are towards the icon and heritage of the club, instead of a stuffed toy, they actually provide you with a real life Viking!